Having a standard way to accomplish something considered an infrastructure
technology serves two very useful roles. First, it frees the user to concentrate
on the more important application-level development, since there is no
need to devote time and resources to designing the infrastructure. Secondly,
it makes it possible for the users to communicate effectively and unambiguously
through a standard mechanism. This, in turn, makes interoperability possible.

Another important role of standards, and particularly international
standards, is to subject the technology to scrutiny by a wider, more diverse
audience. This was the primary reason the SEDRIS Organization elected to
pursue the development of international standards.

Finally, there are many in the community who look for the "badge
of approval" when it comes to embracing infrastructure technologies
such as SEDRIS. This is another reason standardization through ISO/IEC
was initiated.

ISO/IEC Joint Technical
Committee 1 (Information technology) assigned the standards development
work to its SubCommittee
24 (Computer graphics, image processing and environmental data representation) that created a new Working
Group 8 (Environmental representation) to be the focal point for SEDRIS
standardization.

Establishing formal standards was a key part of the SEDRIS development
plan. Pursuing international standardization helped ensure a broad base
for applying SEDRIS technologies, and opened interoperability opportunities
in multiple national and international markets. However, developing formal
specification standards was insufficient to realize all the interoperability
potential that SEDRIS could provide. Establishing tested implementations,
guidance and education documents, and data coding mapping documents was
also required. Toward this end, in the spring of 2000 the Simulation
Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) established two Product
Development Groups (PDGs) to address technical implementation of the SRM
and EDCS ISO/IEC standards.